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Mithali Raj is a former India women’s cricket captain and the leading run-scorer in women’s One Day International (ODI) history, with 7,805 runs in 232 matches at an average of 50.68. Born on 3 December 1982 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, she played international cricket for 23 years (1999–2022), scored 10,868 runs across Tests, ODIs and T20Is — the most by any woman — and is the only Indian captain, male or female, to lead India to two ODI World Cup finals (2005 and 2017). She retired from all international cricket on 8 June 2022.
She is often called the “Lady Tendulkar” of Indian cricket. Like Sachin Tendulkar, she made her international debut aged exactly 16 years and 205 days and finished as the highest run-scorer in international cricket in her game.
Mithali Raj: Quick Facts
| Full name | Mithali Dorai Raj |
| Date of birth | 3 December 1982 |
| Birthplace | Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India |
| Hometown | Hyderabad / Secunderabad |
| Role | Top-order batter |
| Batting / bowling | Right-handed bat / right-arm leg-break |
| International career | 1999–2022 (23 years) |
| ODI debut | 26 June 1999 vs Ireland, Milton Keynes (114*) |
| Test debut | 14 January 2002 vs England, Lucknow |
| T20I debut | 5 August 2006 vs England, Derby |
| Last match | 27 March 2022 vs South Africa, ODI World Cup |
| Domestic teams | Andhra, Air India, Railways |
| Captaincy | India’s full-time captain from 2005; 155 ODIs as captain (world record) |
| Major honours | Arjuna Award (2003), Padma Shri (2015), Khel Ratna (2021), BCCI Lifetime Achievement (2026) |
| Retired | T20Is: September 2019 · All international cricket: 8 June 2022 |
Key Highlights at a Glance
- Most runs in women’s ODIs: 7,805 (see most runs in women’s ODI cricket)
- Most runs in women’s international cricket: 10,868 across all formats
- Longest ODI career of any player, male or female: 22 years 274 days
- Most ODIs as captain (155) and most ODI wins as captain (89)
- Highest Test score by an Indian woman: 214 vs England at Taunton, 2002
- Led India to the 2005 and 2017 ODI World Cup finals
Early Life and Family
Mithali Dorai Raj was born in a Tamil family in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, to Dorai Raj, a warrant officer in the Indian Air Force, and Leela Raj. She has an elder brother, Mithun Raj. The family later settled in Hyderabad, where she studied at Keyes High School for Girls and then at Kasturba Gandhi Junior College for Women in Secunderabad.
As a child she trained in Bharatanatyam, the classical dance form, and was serious enough about it that she had to choose between dance and cricket. She started playing cricket at the age of 10, partly because her father wanted to cure her habit of waking up late. Coach Jyothi Prasad spotted her talent at a camp where her brother was also training, and she later trained under coach Sampath Kumar at Keyes School.
International Career
Debut century at 16 (1999)
Mithali made her ODI debut against Ireland at Milton Keynes on 26 June 1999 and scored an unbeaten 114 — announcing herself as the future of the Indian women’s cricket team. She had been named in a World Cup probables list two years earlier, at 14, but was not picked in the final squad.
The world-record 214 at Taunton (2002)
Her Test debut against England at Lucknow in January 2002 ended in a duck. Just months later, in only her third Test, she scored 214 against England at Taunton in August 2002, breaking Karen Rolton’s world record of 209*. It is still the highest Test score by an Indian woman and the second-highest in women’s Test history. See the full list of most Test runs for India in women’s cricket.
Captaincy and World Cup finals (2005 and 2017)
Mithali became India’s full-time captain in 2005 and, despite a knee ligament injury, scored an unbeaten 91 in the semi-final to take India to their first-ever Women’s World Cup final in South Africa, where they lost to Australia. Twelve years later she led India to the 2017 final at Lord’s, which they lost to England by just nine runs. In that 2017 tournament she overtook Charlotte Edwards as the leading run-scorer in women’s ODIs, became the first woman to reach 6,000 ODI runs and hit a record seven consecutive ODI fifties.
She played in six ODI World Cups and scored 1,321 runs in the tournament, among the most in its history (see most runs in the Women’s World Cup). She also captained India at three T20 World Cups — 2012, 2014 and 2016 (see the Women’s T20 World Cup winners list) — and led India to four Women’s Asia Cup titles (2005-06, 2006-07, 2008 and 2012).
Test series wins in England (2006 and 2014)
As captain, Mithali led India to their first Test series win in England in 2006, sealed with a five-wicket victory at Taunton, where Jhulan Goswami took ten wickets in the match. In 2014 she led India to another Test win over England at Wormsley, staying unbeaten at the crease when the winning runs were hit, just as she had in 2006. Her final Test was the day-night Test against Australia in September 2021.
The 2018 T20 World Cup controversy
Mithali was left out of India’s semi-final against England at the 2018 Women’s World T20 in the West Indies. In a letter to the BCCI, she accused then head coach Ramesh Powar of unfair and discriminatory treatment and alleged bias by Committee of Administrators member Diana Edulji, and said she was disappointed that T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur backed the decision. Powar defended the selection in his own report. It remains one of the most public disputes in Indian women’s cricket.
Retirement (2019 and 2022)
Mithali retired from T20 Internationals in September 2019 to focus on the ODI World Cup. She captained India one last time at the 2022 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, where she scored 68 in her final match against South Africa on 27 March 2022, but India missed the semi-finals. On 8 June 2022, Mithali Raj announced her retirement from international cricket. Read more about India’s 2022 Women’s World Cup squad.
Mithali Raj Career Stats
Batting stats (final, 1999–2022)
| Format | Span | Matches | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 2002–2021 | 12 | 19 | 3 | 699 | 214 | 43.68 | 1 | 4 |
| ODI | 1999–2022 | 232 | 211 | 57 | 7,805 | 125* | 50.68 | 7 | 64 |
| T20I | 2006–2019 | 89 | 84 | 21 | 2,364 | 97* | 37.52 | 0 | 17 |
Compare her numbers with other Indian greats: most ODI runs for India in women’s cricket and most T20I runs for India in women’s cricket.
Bowling stats (right-arm leg-break)
| Format | Matches | Balls | Runs | Wickets | Best | Avg | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 12 | 72 | 32 | 0 | – | – | 2.66 |
| ODI | 232 | 171 | 91 | 8 | 3/4 | 11.37 | 3.19 |
| T20I | 89 | 6 | 6 | 0 | – | – | 6.00 |
Captaincy record
| Format | Matches as captain | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| ODI | 155 | 89 wins — both world records in women’s ODIs |
| T20I | 32 | Captained India in their first-ever T20I (2006) and three T20 World Cups |
| Test | – | Three Test wins as captain, including series wins in England in 2006 and 2014 |
Records and Milestones
- Leading run-scorer in women’s ODIs with 7,805 runs, and the only woman to pass 7,000 ODI runs.
- Most runs in women’s international cricket: 10,868 (699 Test + 7,805 ODI + 2,364 T20I). She passed Charlotte Edwards’ tally in July 2021.
- Most ODI appearances in women’s cricket (232) and the first woman to play 200 ODIs (2019).
- Longest ODI career of any cricketer, male or female: 22 years 274 days.
- Most 50-plus scores in women’s ODIs: 71 (7 hundreds, 64 fifties), including a record seven consecutive fifties in 2017.
- First woman to 6,000 ODI runs (2017 World Cup).
- Only Indian woman with a Test double century (214 vs England, 2002), then a world record.
- Only Indian captain, male or female, to reach two ODI World Cup finals (2005, 2017).
- First Indian to 2,000 T20I runs, and India’s leading T20I run-scorer at the time of her T20I retirement in 2019.
- No. 1 ranked ODI batter in the ICC rankings during the 2013 Women’s World Cup.
She also features prominently in most runs in the Women’s Asia Cup (ODI). For more trivia, read our interesting facts about Mithali Raj.
Awards and Honours
| Year | Award / Honour |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Arjuna Award |
| 2015 | Padma Shri |
| 2017 | Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World |
| 2017 | Vogue Sportsperson of the Year |
| 2017 | Youth Sports Icon of Excellence Award |
| 2021 | Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (India’s highest sporting honour) |
| 2025 | Mithali Raj Stand unveiled at the ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam |
| 2026 | BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award (Women), BCCI Naman Awards |
What Is Mithali Raj Doing Now? (2026)
Since retiring, Mithali has stayed close to the game. She served as mentor and advisor to Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, leaving the franchise in December 2024 (see WPL teams). She now works as a cricket expert and broadcaster, including analysis during WPL 2026.
On 12 October 2025, the Andhra Cricket Association unveiled the Mithali Raj Stand at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam during the 2025 Women’s World Cup — a rare honour for an Indian woman cricketer, following tributes like the Rohit Sharma Stand at Wankhede. In March 2026 she received the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award for Women. In July 2026 she said publicly that Smriti Mandhana should have been made India captain earlier, calling for a clearer succession plan.
Shabaash Mithu: The Mithali Raj Biopic
Shabaash Mithu, the Hindi biopic on Mithali Raj, released in theatres on 15 July 2022. It stars Taapsee Pannu as Mithali, was directed by Srijit Mukherji (who took over from Rahul Dholakia), written by Priya Aven and produced by Viacom18 Studios.
Personal Life
Mithali Raj is not married. Outside cricket she is known for her love of reading and her early training as a Bharatanatyam dancer.
Mithali Raj Net Worth
There is no officially disclosed figure for Mithali Raj’s net worth, and online estimates vary widely. Her income has come from BCCI central contracts and match fees, endorsements, franchise and mentoring roles, and broadcasting. For context, see the salary of women cricketers in India and our list of the richest women cricketers in the world.
Social Media
- Instagram: @mithaliraj
- X (Twitter): @M_Raj03
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Mithali Raj?
Mithali Raj is a former India women’s cricket captain and the leading run-scorer in women’s ODIs, with 7,805 runs. She played international cricket from 1999 to 2022.
How many runs did Mithali Raj score in her career?
She scored 10,868 international runs: 7,805 in ODIs, 2,364 in T20Is and 699 in Tests — the most by any woman cricketer.
What is Mithali Raj’s highest score?
Her highest score is 214 against England at Taunton in 2002, in Test cricket. Her highest ODI score is 125* and her highest T20I score is 97*.
When did Mithali Raj retire?
She retired from T20Is in September 2019 and from all international cricket on 8 June 2022. Her last match was against South Africa at the 2022 World Cup.
Why is Mithali Raj called the Lady Tendulkar?
Like Sachin Tendulkar, she debuted at 16 years 205 days, played for more than two decades and finished as the leading run-scorer in international cricket in her game.
Did Mithali Raj win a World Cup?
No. She led India to the ODI World Cup finals in 2005 and 2017, losing to Australia and England respectively.
Who played Mithali Raj in Shabaash Mithu?
Taapsee Pannu played Mithali Raj in Shabaash Mithu (2022), directed by Srijit Mukherji.
What is Mithali Raj doing now?
In 2026 she works as a cricket expert and broadcaster. She was Gujarat Giants’ WPL mentor in 2023–24 and received the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award in March 2026.
Sources
- ESPNcricinfo – Mithali Raj profile and stats
- Guinness World Records – Most runs in an international career (female)
- ICC – Mithali Raj Stand inaugurated at ACA-VDCA Stadium
- BCCI
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